Italian press review

Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, set a new record yesterday by leading Italy's longest-serving government since the second world war. But the milestone was overshadowed by the previous day's dramatic resignation by Lucia Annunziata, the chairwoman of the state broadcaster, Rai.

La Repubblica argued that Mr Berlusconi may have set a new record, but he had failed to "change Italy" or produce the economic "miracles" that he promised when he was elected. "The only miracle he has really pulled off is [that] of his government's longevity," it sniffed.

He may have broken a record, agreed Corriere della Sera, but he had also broken a promise. "His promise to resolve the problem of the conflict of interests has passed its deadline by 960 days," said the paper, referring to the media mogul's pledge when he became prime minister to rectify matters with new legislation within 100 days.

On the subject of Rai, La Repubblica said that Ms Annunziata had been unable to stop the broadcaster from becoming the "laughing stock" of the world's media for its lack of autonomy. Her resignation, however, was unlikely to resolve that situation. "There is no culture of democracy in Italian television ... What's needed is a great and modern cultural battle for the autonomy of the state broadcaster and the freedom of private television," it reckoned.

Il Messagero warned that Rai was "in a condition of absolute uncertainty", having lost its left-leaning chairwoman - whose appointment had been a token gesture meant to guarantee balance against Rai's government-nominated executives.

Il Giornale, owned by the prime minister's brother, warned that Ms Annunziata's resignation, coming on top of recent strikes at Alitalia and Fiat, was the latest in a concerted campaign by the Italian left to undermine the Berlusconi government, ahead of the European elections next month. The strategy is "to boil the government on a low flame, stoking the coals with unresolved problems (such as Rai, Alitalia, Fiat) and making them unsolvable," wrote Paulo Guzzanti, comparing this "Italian strategy" to that of the terrorists whose attack in Madrid helped oust the Spanish government in March.